International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: December 2

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed on December 2 every year with an objective to raise awareness about slavery and its impact on the society. This day marks adaptation of resolution ‘Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Prostitution of Others’ by United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 2 December 1949.The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, worst forms of child labour and forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.

Modern slavery

According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery. There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1,000 people in the world. 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children. Though modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, forced marriage, human trafficking and debt bondage. Thus, it can be referred as to situations of exploitation that person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception or abuse of power. ILO has adopted new legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2018